Resilient rail spike



y 1942' F. A; PRESTON 4 2,290,993

RESILIENT RAIL SPIKE Filed Jan. 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iii.

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Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE RESILIENT RAIL SPIKE- Frederick A. Preston, Lake Forest, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Poor & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 3, 1938, Serial No. 183,006

' 11 Claims. 238366) A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved rail spike of the above general character which, when driven to its applied position in a cross-tie, will exert resilient pressure on the base portion of a rail and will also effect a firm, but manually releasable interlocking en- T gagementwith a tie plate so as to prevent the vertical forces on the spike, for example, the vertical wave movements of a rail, from partially withdrawing the spike from the cross-tie or otherwise disturbing the resilient clamping action of the spike on the rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient spike adapted to exert a predetermined resilient pressure on a base flange of a rail when the spike is driven to its applied position and which is so formed that the parts thereof will assume positions relative to each other and/or relative to the tie plate to indicate that the spike is fully applied and therefore sufficiently tensioned to produce the desired spring pressure on the rail.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail spike having a vertically resilient portion for Uri engagement with a rail base flange and one or vide a shoulder portion underlying the bottom surface of the tie plate to prevent undesirable upward movement of the spike relative to the .plate.

Many other objects and advantages of the spike constructions herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art, from a disclosure herein given. It will be understood, therefore, that the present invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter shown and described, together with all variations and changes in structure coming within the scope of the several claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of one approved form of a resilient rail spike made in accordance with this invention; the base flange of the rail, the tie plate and underlying crosstie being shown fragmentarily and in section in this figure.

Fig. 2 is anotherview in elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1; said view being taken from the left of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig, 2 illustrating a modified construction.

Fig. 4 is another view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a further modified embodiment in its partially applied position.

Fig. 5 illustrates the rail spike of Fig. 4 in its fully applied position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified locking device and a somewhat different arrangement of the elements for holding the rail base and tie plate in spring clamped relation; and I Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views illustrating further modifications of the upper end portion of the rail spike shown in Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, l0 designates one base flange of a rail seated on a tie plate ll, [2 the cross-tie on which the tie plate and rail are supported, and I3 indicates a resilient rail spike driven into a pre-bored spike hole [4 in the cross-tie. The spike I3 is made, preferably, from a flat metal strip and is suitably tempered to provide the desired resilience. The metal strip herein shown is rectangular in cross-section and has a width which is substantially greater than its thickness. However, the form and size ofthe metal strip may be varied to suit the form and size of the spike being manufactured. The metal strip is bent upon itself to provide a split body composed of flexible members l'5l5. The bend is preferably relatively sharp and the ends of the metal stock are pressed firmly together so that the wide flat faces of the metal are in substantial contact with each other for a portion of the length of the spike. The end of the spike body adjacent the fold or bend I6 is bent at an angle to the :body portion to provide a" hook ll adapted to overlie and bear resiliently against the marginal upper surface of the rail base In. The said hook is preferably formed by bending the metal in the direction of its Widthso that the members l5l5 will stand edgewise to the top of the rail base and therefore provide great resilient strength for holding the rail clamped to the tie plate II. The bend of the hook is also made relatively large so that the flexing thereof, during the application of the spike, to its applied position and during the vertical wave movements of the rail, will be distributed uniformly throughout the length of the hook. The bowedmembers |5l5 of the spike body are bowed outwardly, as indicated at 18, to provide laterally resilient portions which expand and embed themselves into the wall of the pre-bored spike holes I4 in the crosstie so as to provide a firm frictional engagement with the tie, the edge portions of the members I5l 5 cutting into the circular walls of the bored hole 14. This expansion pressure against the walls of the opening in the tie plate holds the plate firmly on the top surface of the tie. The said outwardly bowed portions |8|8 also provide inclined shoulders l9l9 which interlock with the lower edges of the spike opening 20 in the tie plate l'l when the spike is driven to its applied position.

The position of the said shoulders l8-l3 relative to the end of the hook I? is such that the hook will engage the base flange 10 of. the rail before the said shoulders on the spike body extend below the bottom face of the tie plate. Consequently the driving of the spike into the cross-tie a distance sufficient to engage the shoulders |9I9 beneath the lower'edge of the spike opening 20 of the tie plate will impart a desired predetermined tension to the hook I! of the spike. The tension of the hook holdsthe rail and tie plate in resilient clamped engagement. The shoulders Iii-I9 of the spike interlock with the tie plate so as to prevent the tension in the spike hook ll from partially withdrawing the spike from the tie. The said interlock of the tie plate'andspike makes it practicable to provide sufficient tension in the hook portion of the spike to hold the rail from creeping lengthwise across the tie. This creep-resisting function of the spike is made practicable by reason of the faetthat the pressure exerted by all of the spikes-along the rail will be substantially uniform and thereby cooperate as a group to resist the creeping pressure on the rail.

The resilient, spike above described may be withdrawn from the cross-tie by the use of any suitable implement adapted to exert a vertical pull on the shank portion of the spike. During this operation the inclined shoulders l9l9 function as cam. surfaces which engage the lower edges of the spike opening in the tie plate so as to compress the bowed portions l3 sufliciently to permit the spiketo bemoved upwardly through the spike opening 20 of the tie plate.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the members I5al5a of a the spike body are bowed outwardly to provide a more gradual taper than is shown for the corresponding element ofFig. 2 and the shoulders 2l2l for interlocking engagement with the tie plate are more abrupt than the shoulders IQ of Fig. 2. Preferably, the shoulders 2|2I are formed by offsetting members I 5a-l5a.

The shoulders Zl-Zl may be released from the interlocked position beneath the tie plate by compressing the resilientleg portions of the spike together. In order to facilitate this operation the resilient legs are provided at a suitable location above the tie plate with outwardly bowed portions 23 adapted to overlie the claw portions of the usual claw bar (not shown) which is ordinarily used to withdraw rail spikes from crossties. The said pronged portions of the claw bar, in pressing against the curved surfaces 24 of the said bowed portions of the spike, flex the mem-. bers lea-45a toward each other until the wide shoulder portions 2i--2i will, pass upwardly through the spike opening- Ziia in the tie plate. In other-respects thespike shown in Fig, 3 of the drawings maybe, and; preferably is, the same as illustrated in Figsland 2. The common feature of both constructions are, therefore, designated by the same reference numerals.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the bent or folded portion of the metal strip constitutes the lower end 25 of the spike and the laterally resilient leg portions 26 of the spike are spaced apart to provide a shank portion of general Wedge shape, adapted to be driven into the prebored spike holes of the tie. At a suitable location the laterally resilient portions 26 are bowed inwardly at 21-2! to provide shoulder portions 2828 adapted to spring beneath the lower edge of the tie plate opening and interlocked therewith when the spike is driven to its fully applied position. The inwardly bowed portions 21- 21 also provide upper shoulders 2929 which prevent over-driving of the spike. The upper extremities of the leg portions 2626 are bent into hook form substantially as shown in Fig. 1. These hooks, for the purpose of convenience, are designated, by the reference numerals lib-41b.

When driving, the. spike illustrated in Figs. 4 andfi'to, its appliedposition, the upwardly diverging. members, 25-46 ofth-e spike press against opposite side. walls. of the spike opening 20b of the tie. plate and are thereby flexed toward each other, substantially as shown in, Fig. 4. When the shoulders 2828 clear the lower edges of the spike opening in thetie plate, the members 2b'26 will expand outwardly intothe wooden cross-tie and the shoulders 28'-28: will assume their looking positions beneath-the bottom face of the tie plate. Atrthis time the shoulders 29-29 of the spike are inclose relation to the top surface of the tie-plate and therefore give visual indication that the spike has reached the. position necessary, to effect the desired tension in the hook ends lib- I'Ib. Ihe upper shoulders 2929, in addition to giving a visual indication of the proper applied position'of the spike, serve as means for positively holding the tie plate clamped to the topsurface of the cross tie.

Whenit is desired to remove the spike (Figs. 4 and 5') from its applied position, the resilient leg portions 26.26"are. pressed together until the lower shoulders 2828' will pass upwardly through the spike openingof the tie plate,

The modifiedembodiment shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 comprise, in each case, a metal strip bent upon itself so asjto. provide upwardly diverging legs 3il3il which.expand into the wood cross-tie in the same manner as previously described. One leg 3i) is preferably. bent gfiatwise into'hook form so as to. providea resili'enthook3jl which bears with its relatively wide fiat surface on the top surface of the rail base It. The other diverging leg 30 is provided withmeans. for locking engagement with the tie plate, and the upper end of the last mentioned leg is bent upwardly, as indicated at 32. The outwardly bent portion 32- provides. a curved under surface which functions as a cam surface. when engaged by the claw portions. of a claw bar to force the spring legs 3B3iltoward'each other and, therefore, permit: the. spike to-be withdrawn fromits appliedposition. Thespring pressure of the outwardly diverging member 35-30 against the walls of the spike openings in-thetie plate 33 functions to hold the tie plate relatively fixed on thetop surface of the cross-tie 34.- In this respectthe modificationsyin Figs. 6; 7 and 8 function in the, same manner-as.- the laterally resilient portions of all previous embodiments described herein. However, the means for interlocking.;the

; spikes with the-bottom surface of theEcrOSS-tie is somewhat different in the .three figures. The locking shoulder 35 shown in Fig. 6 is preferably formed by offsetting the outer member 30 of the spike shank. The locking shoulder 36 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 is formed by bowing the outer spring arm of the key inwardly, as indicated at 31. This construction like the similar constructionshown in Figs. 4 and 5 provides also an upper shoulder 38 which assumes a position in close relation to the top surface of the tie plate 39 when the spike member is driven to itsfully applied position. The said shoulder 38 functions not only as an indicator to show when the spike has been driven into the tie sufiicient to impart the desired tension to the resilient hook portion, but also provides a positive means for holding the tie plate clamped to the top surface of the tie. The locking'shoulder 40 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is formed by bowing the outer spring arm of the spike outwardly, as indicated at 4|. The clearance 42 between the resilient arm portions of the spike when it is in its applied position is normally sufficient to permit the bowed portion 4| to pass upwardly through the spike opening of the tie plate when the resilient arms are pressed together. functional respects the spike structures illustrated in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 may be the same. The several parts of the spike shown in Figs. 7 and 8 which correspond to the structure of Fig. 6 are therefore given the same reference numeral with the exponents a and b, respectively.

I claim:

1. A rail spike comprising a portion for overlying the base fiange of a rail andhaving a shank portion adapted to be driven through an opening in a tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, and means formed integral with the shank adapted to flex laterally beneath the plate into locking engagement therewith when the spike is driven to its applied position in the cross-tie, there being a portion of said means projecting above the tie plate and spaced from an adjacent portion of the shank, whereby reverse flexing thereof releases said locking engagement.

2. A rail spike comprising a portion for overlying the base flange of a rail and having a shank portion adapted to be driven through an opening in a tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, and means comprising a relatively abrupt shoulder integral with the shank adapted to flex laterally beneath the plate into locking engagement therewith and into spring gripping engagement with the cross-tie when the spike is driven to its applied position in the tie, there being a portion of said means projecting above the tie plate and spaced from an adjacent portion of the shank, whereby reverse flexing thereof releases said locking and spring gripping engagements.

3. A rail spike comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a shank having spaced apart and laterally resilient legs adapted to be driven through an opening in a tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, one of said legs being offset adjacent the bottom of the tie plate to provide a shoulder for interlocking engagement with theplate, a hook portion at the upper end of the shank for resilient engagement with the upper surface of a rail base positioned on said plate, and means positioned above the tie plate for engagement with a spike pulling implement, the said means being provided with an inclined surface which functions as a cam to press the legs of the shank together and thereby release the In other structural and said shoulder from interlocking engagement with the tie plate. V

4. A rail spike comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a shank having laterally resilient legs spaced apart both above and below a railway tie plate and adapted to be driven through an opening in the tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, one of said legs being bowed inwardly adjacent the tie plate to provide shoulders embracing the upper and lower edges of the tie plate opening, and means at the upper end of the shank for resilient engagement with the top surface of a rail base positioned on the plate.

5. A rail spike comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a shank having upwardly diverging legs adapted to be driven through an opening in a tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, one leg being bent at its upper end into hook form to engage the top surface of a rail base positioned on the plate and the other leg of the shank being formed with a shoulder for engagement with the lower edge of the tie plate opening and having an out-turned upper end for engagement with a spike pulling element.

6. A rail spike comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a shank having upwardly diverging legs adapted to be driven through an opening in a tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, one leg being bent at its upper end into hook form to engage the top surface of a rail base positioned on the plate and the other leg of the shank being bowed to provide a shoulder for locking engagement with the lower edge portion of the opening in the tie plate and having an out-turned end for engagement with a spike pulling implement.

7. A rail spike comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a shank having upwardly diverging legs adapted to be driven through an opening in a tie plate and into an underlying cross-tie, one leg being bent at its upper end into hook form to engage the top surface of a rail base positioned on the plate and the other leg of the shank being bowed inwardly to provide shoulder portions for locking engagement with the upper and lower edge portions of the opening in the tie plate and having an out-turned end for engagement with a spike pulling implement.

8. A rail spike formed at one end with a portion adapted to engage a rail base of a railroad rail to clamp the rail to its supporting structure and having a shank portion adapted to be driven into said supporting structure; the said shank being provided with an integral resilient portion for exerting lateral holding pressure against said supporting structure, and the said resilient portion being spaced from an adjacent portion of the shank both above and below the top surface of said supporting structure, whereby said holding pressure may .be released by flexing the upper end of said resilient portion inwardly toward the other portion of the shank.

9. A rail spike comprising a metal strip bent upon itself to provide a laterallyexpansible shank portion adapted to be driven into a supporting structure underlying a railroad rail and having a vertically resilient portion for clamping the rail to said supporting structure; and means comprising a shoulder on one of said shank portions for resiliently engaging a portion of said "supporting structure, and the said expansible portion being spaced from the other portion of the shank both above and below the top surface of said supporting structure, whereby said shoulder may be released from its engagement with the supporting structure by flexing the upper end of; the shank portion, on which said shoulder is formed, toward the other portion ofthe shank.

10. A rail spike comprising a metal stripbent upon itself to provide a shank havingzexpansible leg portions adapted to be drivenv into a supporting structure underlying a railroad rail, and a hook at one end of the shank for resiliently clamping the rail to said supporting structure; one of the legs of said shank portion being displaced outwardly to provide'a relatively abrupt shoulder adapted to flex into releasable winterlocking engagement with sai'd supporting structure, and the said expansible legsbeing spaced from each other bothabove and below the top surface of said supporting structure, whereby-said shoulder may be released from its engagement with the supporting structure by. flexing. the

upperrend of-theleg, on which the shoulder is formed, towardfthef other leg portion of the shank. Y

11. A rail spike. comprising. a portion for overlying the base flange/of a1 rail and having a shank portion adapted to bedriven through an opening. in a tie plate and'into an underlying cross-tie.;.the said'shank being formed with an integral resilient portion: adapted. toflex laterally-1 into releasable. interlocking engagement with therlower edge of said spike openingwhen the spike is driven to its applied position; there being a. portionxofthe shankabovethe tie plate spaced from an adjacent portion of the shank and adapted to be. compressed toward the. said other portion ofthe shank to release said interlocking engagement.

FREDERICK A. PRESTON.- 

